Landman Season 1 Blu-ray Review
Not even Billy Bob Thornton can save “Landman”.
Based on the “Boomtown” podcast, “Landman” is a new 10 episode drama series from creators Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace. The modern series focuses on the West Texas oil business and revolves around the titular landman (Tommy). Tommy does the dirty work to secure land leases and acts as a general fixer for M-Tex Oil. As if he didn’t have his hands full enough, Tommy has to balance a family life as well with his newly remarried ex-wife (Angela) and 2 children (Cooper and Ainsley). Cooper has started work on an oil rig while the teen Ainsley visits her father. Throughout the series there are storylines about a Mexican drug cartel, an oil rig explosion, an attorney (Rebecca), and Monty (the M-Tex owner) and his wife Cami.
It’s no secret that Taylor Sheridan is nothing if not prolific, but not every show of his is a winner. Despite being a ratings hit, “Landman” ranks among his weakest efforts.
On the surface, a series set in the Texas oil world is certainly ripe with potential. Indeed, Tommy’s day-to-day duties (which are dangerous, stressful, and chaotic) prove to be engaging albeit exaggerated to a macho soap opera degree. Seeing the series explore various facets of the oil world from the roughnecks in the field to the big wigs rolling in money also proved to be of interest. When it veers outside of that world and focuses on Tommy’s family or the cartel plotline (which often feels like a different show entirely), the series loses its way. On top of that, one can argue the show bears a lot of resemblance to “Yellowstone” and that’s perfectly valid. Both shows deal with land although “Yellowstone” had more to say at this juncture as it dealt with American history, change, and Native American culture.
Of course, the show’s real star is Billy Bob Thornton himself. For decades now Thornton has been one of the most underrated actors. His range from drama (“Sling Blade”) to comedy (“Bad Santa”) has always astonished me. With “Landman,” Thornton once again shines. From his comic line deliveries to his stoic confrontations in the face of danger, Thornton carries the show on his back (even with the inclusion of other stars like Demi Moore, Jon Hamm, Andy Garcia and Ali Larter).
Where the show really falls flat is with the female characters. The puzzling, embarrassing, and downright sexist oversexualization of Ainsley, the one-dimensional Cami (who is basically her husband’s cheerleader), and the bizarre antics of Angela all had me shaking my head at various points. It was hard to believe this was a modern day show and not a relic of the past. Regardless of whether or not these types of people actually exist in Texas, they all come off as cartoonish instead of actual characters.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.00:1 1080p. How does it look? Much like “Yellowstone,” this pristine Blu-ray release is the best way to watch the series on home video.
Audio Track: Dolby TrueHD 5.1. How does it sound? The 5.1 track is effective at every point. No complaints.
Extras:
* “Constant Crisis: The Path To Landman”- A half-hour general rundown of the show, world, and characters with cast and crew interviews.
* “Passion And Poise: Tommy And Angela/Cami And Monty”- A featurette on the 2 couples.
* “Welcome To The Patch: Pyrotechnics And Stunts” covers the action, special effects, and stunts during the oil rig scenes.
* “Landman: Inside The Series”- Ali Larter hosts this Paramount+ special that sells the show.
* “Landman: Meet The Millers”- Jon Hamm and Demi Moore talk about their Monty and Cami characters and the series.
* “Landman: The Best of Tommy”- A highlight reel of Billy Bob Thornton’s character.
* “Roughnecking It With Billy, James, And Jacob”- Billy Bob Thronton, Jacob James, and Jacob Lofland show off tools of the trade and talk about the job.
* “Digging Deep With The Cast of Landman”- Cast members answer random questions.
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